The skin of people confined to a bed or wheelchair is susceptible to decubitus ulcers, commonly referred to as pressure sores or bedsores.
Some existing conventional systems use a pressure relieving wheelchair cushion to prevent pressure sores together with a device which monitors pressure over time. In such systems, based on pressure readings detected and stored as a whole, an alarm is activated when an amount of pressure and time from a user has been detected; i.e., the user has been sitting for too long and is alerted to unload. A difficulty with such systems is that the user response is limited to basic unloading actions such as getting up or performing wheelchair push-ups.
Another difficulty with such systems occurs when a user is improperly sitting. If the patient develops a habit to sit with an incorrect posture, even if they comply with the unloading alerts, they are still at risk of developing pressure sores as a result of their postural deformity.